Then and now...

In rolls a new year, and out rolls old resolutions; or perhaps, the same resolutions revamped into new resolutions with very little change taking place. I'm not sure that we resolve things in life by regression. If only we pay closer attention to actions; actions that lead to progress. Thus, my personal New Years resolution is to focus on change; not a benchmark for it- just change in the simplest of ways.

I'll start with this: 1.) More investment into life. This is the poker game we play each and everyday, and if we play our cards right- we just may come out the back-end (or perhaps the front-end depending on how you look at it) with the priceless and immeasurable accomplishment of "living a good life". A good life, however you choose to define it, is about joy and happiness, love and relationships- the wealth of all good things. Nevertheless, wealth is not a dollar sign- it is the amount of success you accomplish in all things important to LIVING.

I'll be supported by this: 2.) Faith that all things that fail are not forever fallen, hopeless, or done in vain. The mistakes, hiccups, and downfalls we have in life are all about perception. To think that no one has or will ever fall short in life is an absolute acceptance of a lie. Why pity yourself for falling short, when falling short only opens your eyes and mind to what you need to succeed in those shortcomings. After all, aren't we all imperfections of life? So, I vow to keep the faith in who I am, what I do, and why I do it. That, to me, is strength.

I'll be humbled by this: 3) Working for what I talk about, so that I can truly be about it. There's nothing cheaper than talk. If only we could transform our thoughts into actions on a consistent bases; if we could only find the guts that it takes to breakthrough those boundaries that we allow our fears to draw for us. Why can't we be who we say we are... Perhaps, it's because we often doubt who we want to be. Make a choice and do not let it be a choice that is driven by fear of being different- of stepping outside of what is ordinary in your world. Know this to be true: Extraordinary only happens when we go the extra mile, and going the extra mile is not easy. It comes with sacrifice and pushes us to our limits. Extraordinary is not for everyone; it's for those who believe it's possible. Work for it...

My life is not based on a compliance of how people want me to live, expect me to live, or need me to live. MY LIFE is based on living to be the best I can be to happiness that invades my space, to any degree of love that absorbes into my heart, and to wealth that sticks to my soul- not just my bank account. I want everlasting resolutions. Not those that I have to redo every year of my life. I resolve to change only if change is fruitful to my life.